Signs of Life
by Lindira
Summary: After Solas leaves, Paikea Lavellan goes through her pregnancy with the support of her brother and best friend. (AU, one-shot)


A/N: From a Tumblr prompt. Taking place in an AU where Paikea Lavellan is the Inquisitor and her brother Aeric is alive and joined the Inquisition. Continuation of my drabble "Little Bun" from the Glimpses drabble collection.

* * *

Paikea couldn't sleep again. She had lain awake for hours, reading the notes on time magic Dorian had lent her, going over reports and treaties, and still she felt full of energy. Yet, she knew as soon as the sun rose, she would be exhausted beyond belief. Her pregnancy so far seemed to be a constant rebellion against the natural order of things. Given who the father was, perhaps she shouldn't have been surprised.

Her stomach growled. "Mythal's mercy," Pai swore, setting down Dorian's notes and staring down at her middle. "Again, _da'len_? I ate only an hour ago!" It growled again in a long whine. With a chuckle, she stretched and got up from her chair. "Fine. But we'll have to take a little trip. My stash of food up here is all gone."

She pulled a woolen shawl over her shoulders and left her quarters, going down the long series of stairs. Making her way through the castle, nodding to guards as she passed, she finally reached the kitchens and was surprised to see lanterns already lit inside.

Aeric stood at one counter, hunched over a bowl with white flour dusting one cheek. As she entered, he looked up and smiled. "Again?" he asked.

Pai sighed. "That's what I said! I'll have to have my own larder upstairs before long." She opened the larder door and spotted some cheese biscuits leftover from dinner. Grabbing the whole plate, she closed the door and settled down on a stool next to Aeric. "What are you doing up?" she asked, brow furrowing at him as she bit into a biscuit. "You didn't have a fight with Dorian, did you?"

Aeric shook his head and punched down the dough in his bowl. "Nothing like that. Just couldn't sleep."

"Sympathetic pregnancy symptoms?" Pai teased.

Aeric chuckled. "I hope not," he replied. He glanced at her middle, a little smile lingering on his lips. "How is that treating you? I think you're starting to show."

"My clothes _have_ been feeling a little tight lately," she admitted, her mouth half-full of biscuit. "But aside from the odd sleeping hours and ravenous eating, it's not so bad." She shrugged. "My hair and nails suddenly look amazing, so that's nice."

Aeric smiled, but said nothing, kneading the dough in comfortable silence.

As Paikea started on a third and final biscuit, finally feeling blessedly sated, she leaned over to peek into Aeric's bowl. "What are you making?"

"Bread," he replied. "I think I might stuff it with cheese and fruit. Something more substantial for you to have upstairs whenever you get hungry."

Pai blinked in surprise and smiled. "That's for me?"

Without pausing in his movements, he nodded as he turned the dough out onto the flour-dusted countertop.

"Oh, Aeric, thank you!" She threw her arms around his shoulders and squeezed him tight until he made a sound of mild annoyance. She laughed. "Honestly, I don't know what I would do without you."

Aeric smiled down at her and flicked a bit of flour onto her face. "You'll never have to find out, Pai."

ooo

"Maker's breath, you look like a druffalo."

Paikea bristled, brushing her hands over her round stomach without thinking. " _Fenedhis_ , you did _not_ just say that."

Dorian laughed. "Did I say druffalo? I meant a dragon. Yes, a fearsome, graceful dragon who just ate a druffalo. Better?"

"I swear," Pai said in a mockery of a warning, "if you say that I'm glowing, I will probably murder you."

"Oho!" Dorian exclaimed, laughing again. "You haven't lost your bite, I see. But your darling brother will protect me. Won't you, _amatus_?"

"Leave me out of this," Aeric murmured, not bothering to look up from his book, though Paikea could tell he was trying not to smile. He sat on the floor of the library beneath the window of Dorian's alcove, legs extended in front of him. His eyes didn't move across the page, only pretending to be reading, and his face was schooled into a serious expression. "Though you _did_ call her a druffalo."

"Traitor," Dorian accused, still smiling. He got up from his chair and made a sweeping gesture towards it as he turned back to Paikea. "Care to sit down, my dear?"

With a sniff, Pai walked across the alcove to the chair, not yet waddling, thank the gods. She sat down in the plush chair with a flump. "You're never getting this back, I hope you know," she told Dorian as she leaned back and relaxed in the chair.

"You can have it," Dorian replied, sitting down on the floor next to Aeric. "So long as you don't birth the child upon it."

Pai chuckled. "We're a long way off from that still, _lethallin_."

"Oh, good."

Finally looking up from his book, Aeric watched her for a moment, frowning. "Are you all right? You shouldn't push yourself so hard."

"I'm fine, Aeric," she replied, closing her eyes. "I was only entertaining dignitaries today. Nothing major. You don't have to worry so much."

The three of them sat in comfortable silence for a time, the two men reading their respective books with Aeric's head resting on Dorian's shoulder. Every so often, Pai would peek at them and smile, loving the sight of her two favorite people being so happy together.

Her stomach lurched, and she gasped. Paikea stared down at her middle in surprise.

"Pai?" Aeric asked. "What is it?"

"I… I think the baby just moved," she whispered, waiting. Another thump came from the inside of her stomach and she grinned. "Come on! Give me your hands!"

Dorian got to his feet, stepping around Aeric as her brother reached a hand up. The mage hesitated, his hand lingering in the air just above her. Smiling, Paikea took each of their hands and pressed them to her stomach, hoping for another kick. She held her hands there for a minute, waiting until it felt like too much time had already passed.

"I don't think…" Dorian had begun to say when suddenly her stomach gave a wild jump. " _Fasta vass!_ " Dorian breathed, his mouth falling open in surprise.

Pai grinned at each of them in turn. Aeric said nothing, but was laughing in delight while Dorian continued to gape at her, his face full of wonder.

"Creators," she said in a soft voice. "Maybe I _did_ swallow a druffalo."

Dorian blinked at her, coming out of his daze, and chuckled, drawing his hand away as Aeric did. "Certainly feels that way, doesn't it? That's quite a hello!"

"It was, wasn't it?" Pai ran a hand over her stomach and smiled. "Hello to you, _da'len_ ," she whispered. "We're all very eager to meet you."

ooo

"If we bring our forces through the Dales, we can snuff out any remaining insurgents in the area," Cullen was saying, gesturing over the map on the war table. "What do you think, Inquisitor?"

Paikea craned her neck to glance at the markers on the table. She sat in a large plush chair, similar to Dorian's chair in the library, with her swollen feet bare and resting on an ottoman in front of her. "That looks good," she replied, glancing over the notes that she had balanced on her massive stomach. "But make sure we leave enough soldiers at the northern border. If tensions between Nevarra and Tevinter come to a head, I don't want them to spill south and ruin what little peace we've been able to enjoy down here."

"Of course, Your Worship," Cullen replied. "I'll make the necessary-"

"Oof!" Pai interrupted as pain shot through the bottom of her ribcage. It felt like being punched, but from the inside. She smiled up at her advisors. "I'm sorry, please continue."

Josephine smiled. "Is the little one kicking again?"

"Yes, I think it's completely rearranged my insides by now," Pai said with a laugh. She was about to tell them to go on when another pain came, lower this time, feeling like an intense pressure pushing downward. She had felt its like before, but she thought this time felt more intense. A few minutes after her advisors resumed their discussion, the pressure came again, and Paikea hissed with pain.

"Inquisitor," Leliana said, coming around the table and crouching down. "Are you all right?"

"Fine," Paikea grunted. But as another contraction came, she cursed. "Oh, fuck. I think we're going to have to adjourn this meeting early. I think… I think the baby might be on its way."

"What, now?" Cullen exclaimed, his voice rising a few octaves. "You can't have a baby in the War Room!"

Josephine laughed. "Calm yourself, Commander. It probably won't arrive for at least a few hours yet."

"Right, right," Cullen muttered. "Maker's breath…"

"In any case, I'd hate to make a mess of the War Room floor," Pai said as she reached a hand up to Leliana, who helped her out of the chair. Pai slipped on her sandals. "Let's head upstairs before my water breaks."

Cullen came around the table, his face white as a sheet. "Can you make it up the stairs? Those are a lot of flights. We should find somewhere on this level for you to have the baby. Maybe in Josephine's office? A sofa, perhaps, or…"

As another contraction passed, Pai smiled up at Cullen. "I can make it to my quarters, thank you, Cullen. The activity should actually ease my labor." She paused. "Why don't you go find the healer? And my brother and Dorian? They should be in the library."

Cullen frowned. "Why would the healer be in the library?"

"The healer is in the infirmary, Commander," Leliana said patiently as she and Josephine walked with Pai to the door. "Master Lavellan and Lord Dorian are in the library."

"Maker's breath. Right. On it." Cullen squeezed past them and hurried up the hall. "Maker's breath…"

Paikea laughed as the three of them followed slowly after him towards Josephine's office. "That man can face a demon horde without batting an eye, but give him one elf in labor and he falls to pieces."

"I am not at all surprised," Josephine said with a grin.

As they exited Josephine's office into the main hall, the nobles gathered there all grew quiet and stared. Paikea tensed under their scrutiny, but her eyes fell on the doorway to the rotunda and she forgot all about them. Just beyond the doorway, she could see a glimpse of Solas' paintings. Her heart ached. Despite everything, she wished he were here.

With her eyes still on the tower door, Aeric and Dorian appeared, their faces a strange mixture of excitement and anxiety. Pai grinned as her eyes met her brothers', and his face relaxed into a smile. Surrounded by her favorite people, Paikea walked on, feeling ready for anything.

"Come on, you two," Pai said as Aeric and Dorian took Josephine and Leliana's places at her side. Whatever happened, she knew she would be in good hands. "Let's go meet your new niece or nephew."


End file.
